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A photographic exhibition showcasing Mexico's renowned World Heritage sites, as recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), opened with a reception on Friday, 24 February, at 6 p.m. in the North-East Gallery of the General Assembly Visitors' Lobby of the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, formally opened the exhibit. He was joined by Magdalena Carral, Chief Executive Officer of the Mexico Tourism Board, and a representative of UNESCO.

This travelling exhibit displays photographs of the 25 sites recognized by UNESCO in Mexico. Featured sites in the exhibit include the archaeological zone of Monte Albán (Oaxaca); the pre-Hispanic cities of Teotihuacan (State of Mexico), Xochimilco (Mexico City), Sian Ka'an (Quintana Roo) and Tajin ( Veracruz); the historic fortified city of Campeche ( Campeche); the whale sanctuary of El Vizcaíno (Baja California Sur); and the Luis Barragán house and studio ( Mexico City) among many others.

The images included in the exhibit were taken by independent travel photographers Ignacio Guevara, Alberto Moreno, Oscar Alvarez, Carlos Sanchez Pereyra, Claudio Contreras Koob and Rafael Doniz. All photographers are of Mexican descent except for Oscar Alvarez, who is from Spain.

The 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage is one of the most effective international heritage conservation instruments. It aims to preserve the creative works of human genius of "outstanding universal value", as well as sites of natural value, high biological diversity and natural beauty. In the Americas, Mexico is the country with the most sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This distinction gives Mexico a special responsibility to protect its World Heritage sites for future generations.

The exhibit is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations and the Mexico Tourism Board, in collaboration with UNESCO and the United Nations Department of Public Information.